Today I was SUPER DUPER excited because I was going to go try out the gym that a lot of my new friends here in AZ go to. I dropped the Reecer off at preschool and Sadie and I headed over. The parking lot was full--good sign. I went in with my "5 day free trial" coupon. Got Sadie situated in the kid care--thumbs up there. I went and picked out a treadmill and started my warmup. Okay, immediately I realized this was going to be a problem. ALL of the equipment machines have individual TV's that are at eye level about a foot from your face. I guess a lot of people would like this but it made me feel claustrophobic. I wanted to go to a gym to feel like part of a group, or be part of a group because so much of my training is all alone by myself, sniff sniff, but with the TV positioned like this you can't see around it. I ran two miles like this and then I was done. It was too annoying. I got off and decided I'll do weights but as I was doing this I looked up at all the peeps on all the treadmills, elliptical, bikes, etc. and they all looked like zombies. Nothing worse than being in a room full of people and feeling all alone. Have you seen the movie Wall-E? You know how all the people live in this big spaceship in space and go throughout their days completely sedentary and have robots do everything for them? This is what the people at the gym looked like. Nobody was really running that hard or cycling that hard or ellipticalling that hard they were all just staring at their individual TV's and going through the motions of "working out".Looking for Wall-E pictures I came across THIS post and I have to say I agree. (I like the Wall-E comparisons, the matrix quotes not so much). Anyway, I decided this wasn't the place for me. Fourth gym I've tried since moving to AZ and fourth gym I've hated since moving to AZ.
So I headed home deflated but still needing to run and I decided to stall some more check out some running blogs real quick before I jumped on my own treadmill minus blasted TV in my face and I saw Jamoosh's post about the "Equalizer". So I began reading, reading reading..blah blah blah (I mean this in a nice way Jamoosh) and then there it was...THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM! It couldn't have been more clear if he reached through his computer and slapped me in the face. Jamoosh's post was about how he had just had some awesome runs and if others hadn't then it's basically our own fault. He's right.
**It's my problem if I feel alone in a crowded room. I can go talk to someone.
**It's my problem if I don't get my running done. I have two feet just put one in front of the other, just cause I don't like the gym I can come up with plenty of other options.
**It's my problem if I don't "train hard" Just because everyone else is slow poking doing the zombie workout doesn't mean I have to. If everyone else jumped off a cliff would you? Okay maybe.
Anyway, thanks for the heartless unsympathetic motivation Jamoosh. I got on my treadmill and cranked out 6 Mean Deans, then did the Hard Core club workout and when I finished I felt strong and refreshed because I was physically drained and dripping with sweat. Make sense? I love to run.
P.S. Although I liked your post Jamoosh. I'm going to correct you on one thing---90 years ago women didn't earn the right to vote we just finally gained the right to vote which we earned long before that. But I know what you meant.
Girls rule!
Happy Running,
NRR
YOU GO GIRL - KICK JAMOOSH WHERE IT HURTS!! YAY YOU!
ReplyDeleteI want a shirt that says: TEAM ADRIENNE
AND
Yay for 6 Mean Deans!!
Blah, I was totally in the "lost mojo club" jamoosh references. He was right - and so are you. We both needed to suck it up!
ReplyDeleteWay to get out there and kill your workout. And good luck finding a gym!
My first experience running on a treadmill was this week at the Anthem rec center and all of the cardio machines have personal tvs. There's a row of machines facing huge windows with beautiful views of the mountains but you can't see them because of the stupid TVs. I thought I'd like the distraction, but I don't. Hundreds of miles with the wind in my face and the world around me has made me jaded I guess - although I was just complaining about how that view was boring, too. I do love that you can push your speed on the treadmill. It made for a super fast hill run outside for me today. Yippee! It's all about attitude!
ReplyDeleteI agree - girls rule! But at least the girl that rules me helps me run - that's enough sweetness to last a lifetime.
ReplyDeleteThe are a couple of Gyms near us that cater to women only. My wife loves them - I don't know how they vary from the place you were at but most of the gyms here that I have been to sound like the one you describe. Except Gold's Gym. But that one is not about exercise ... it's about the "house of pain".
I never go to a gym. I just can't like it. Luckily I can run outdoors all year round.
ReplyDeleteI love the movie Wall-E. Aside from the typical Pixar brilliance, there are so many quietly brilliant messages in that movie that speak to so many different ages.
ReplyDeleteBack in the day, before there were TVs/monitors every 2 feet, gyms were a very different beast and did lend themselves to a 'community' of regulars. That's pretty much been lost, but on the plus side most gyms are a lot nicers and smell much better than the dark basements they used to be.